Rubber dam for dentists.



No. 67!,929. Patented Apr. 9, I90l.

, C. F. HORGAN.

RUBBER DAM FDR DENTISTS.

(Application filed Oct. 27, 1900) (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CORNELIUS F. HORGAN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO EDWARDHORGAN, OF SAME PLACE.

RUBBER DAM FOR DENTISTS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 671,929, dated April 9,1901.

Application filed October 27, 1900. Serial No. 34,662. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CORNELIUS F. HORGAN, a citizen of the United States,residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Rubber Dams for Dentists Use, of which the following isa specification.

The object of my invention is to provide dentists with rubber-dammaterial whichwill be much less expensive than that at present used, anda further object is to utilize the dam as a means of illuminating theinterior of the month. These objects I attain in the manner hereinafterset forth, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which--Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rubber dam made in accordance withmy invention; and Fig. 2 is a similar view, illustrating another methodof carrying out my invention.

Rubber dams such as are employed in dental work consist usually ofsheets of pure rubber, each about five inches square, and they arecomparatively expensive, as they cannot, for hygienic reasons, be usedmore than once. In order, therefore, to provide a rubber dam which,while cheaper, will be as efiective as or even more effective than theordinary dam, I use but a narrow strip of the sheet-rubbersay fromthree-quarters of an inch to an inch in width and of a length determinedby the size of the dam to be produced, such strip being represented, forinstance, at 1 inFig. 1- and I secure to each edge of this narrow rubberstrip flaps 2 of less expensive waterproof material-such, for instance,as rubber mixed with other materials or rubber-coated textile fabricsimilar to that employed in the manufacture of various kinds ofwaterproof articles of apparel.

The rubber strip 1, being elastic in both directions, can be applied toahook with the same facility as a dam composed Wholly of sheet-rubber,and the waterproof flaps 2 are equally as effective as the sheet-rubberin preventing the access of saliva to that portion of the tooth uponwhich the work is being performed. Further than this, I may make theflaps 2 of white or light colored material, so that they will serve toreflect light and illuminate the interior of the mouth, thereby in manycases enabling the dental operation to be conducted with greaterfacility and accuracy than is possible when the ordinary rubber dam isemployed, for pure sheet-rubber is dark in color, and thereforepossesses no such light-reflecting properties as the flaps 2 of myimproved dam As the area of pure sheet-rubber employed in my improveddam is but about one-fifth that of the ordinary rubber dam, and as thematerial of which the flaps 2 are composed is much less expensive thanthe pure sheet-rubber, it will be evident that my improved rubber dam ismuch cheaper than one composed Wholly of sheet-rubber, while at the sametime it possesses the advantage of being a lightreflector, and istherefore superior to the ordinary rubber dam in this respect.

While in all cases I prefer to make the rubber strip 1 of a length equalto the full width of the dam in order that said rubber strip may befreely elastic in all directions, my invention may be embodied in a damsuch as shown in Fig. 2, in which a square of rubber 3 of limiteddimensions confined to the cen tral portion of the dam is used in placeof the long strip of rubber 1, the waterproof material 4 having acentral opening for the reception of the rubber sheet, so as tocompletely surround the latter.

I am aware that a strip of sheet-rubber for application to a tooth hasbeen combined with an apron of waterproof material secured to one edgeof said strip and intended to prevent the soiling of the clothing of thepatient by saliva; but the purpose of my invention is distinct fromthis, the waterproof flaps being applied to both edges of the rubberstrip, so that the dam may surround the tooth equally on all sides.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent- 1. A rubber dam for dentists consisting of a centralbody portion of elastic sheet-rubber and of a size to receive the tooth,said rubber body portion being flanked by flexible waterproof flaps ofother material, substantially as specified.

2. A rubber dam for dentists consisting of In testimony whereof I havesigned my a central body portion of elastic sheet-rubber name to thisspecification in the presence of and of a size to receive the tooth,said rubber two subscribing Witnesses.

body portion being flanked by Waterproof CORNELIUS F. HORGAN. 5 flaps ofother material, and having a surface Witnesses:

which Will reflect the light, substantially as F. E. BECHTOLD,

J 0s. H. KLEIN.

specified.

